Study on the Cu–As–Sb–Ag–Bi–Pb–Te Sulfosalt Minerals from the Hydrothermal System of Southwestern Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract

AbstractShin‐Otoyo, Suttsu, Teine, Date, Chitose, and Koryu are sites rich in precious and base metal Miocene–Pleistocene epithermal deposits, and located in southwestern Hokkaido, Japan. The deposits are predominantly hosted by the Green Tuff Formation of Middle Miocene age. Ore petrographic study of these deposits shows the occurrence of variable quantities of Cu–As–Sb–Ag–Bi–Pb–Te sulfosalt minerals. Determination of mineralogical and chemical compositions of the sulfosalt minerals was undertaken to elucidate the time and spatial changes of the sulfide‐sulfosalt minerals. Various types of sulfosalt minerals identified from gold–silver and base metal quartz–sulfide veins represented some sulfosalt mineralization phases, such as the Cu–Fe–Sn–S phase of mawsonite and stannite; Cu–(As,Sb)–S phase of tetrahedrite–tennantite and luzonite–famatinite series minerals; (Cu,Ag)–Bi–Pb–S phase of emplectite, pavonite, friedrichite, aikinite, and lillianite–gustavite series minerals; (Ag,Cu)–(As,Sb)–S phase of proustite–pyrargyrite and pearceite–polybasite series minerals; and Bi–Te–S phase of tetradymite and kawazulite minerals. There are some trends in the paragenetic sequence of sulfosalt mineralization in southwestern Hokkaido (in complete or partial) as follows: sulfide → Cu–Fe–Sn–S → (Cu,Ag)–Bi–Pb–S → (Bi–Te–S) → Cu–(As,Sb)–S → ([Ag,Cu]–[As,Sb]–S). The formation of sulfosalt minerals is characterized by the introduction of some elements such as Sn, Bi, and Te at an earlier stage and an increase or decrease of some elements such as As and Sb, followed by the introduction of Ag at the later stage of ore mineral paragenesis sequence. Mineral composition of the Chitose and Koryu deposits are slightly different from those of Shin‐Otoyo, Suttsu, Teine, and Date due to their lack of Sn (tin) and Bi (bismuth) mineralization. The variable concentrations and relationships are not simply with redistributed trace elements from the original sulfide minerals of chalcopyrite, pyrite, galena, and sphalerite. Some heavier elements were also introduced during the replacement reaction, which is consistent with the occurrence of their associated minerals.